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| |  New Guidelines Endorse Zeffix (Lamivudine) As Key Treatment Option For Hepatitis B LAVAL, QC -- August 28, 2000 -- BioChem Pharma Inc. announced that new guidelines drawn up by the Asia Pacific Consensus Group on the Prevention and Management of Chronic Hepatitis B and C, in association with the Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, have endorsed Zeffix as a key treatment option for a broad range of chronic hepatitis B patients. Zeffix (lamivudine) was discovered by BioChem Pharma and is sold under license by Glaxo Wellcome. On the basis of an extensive review of available literature and clinical experience, the Asia Pacific guidelines recommend that hepatitis B patients with active liver disease,(x) liver failure, or recurrent disease after liver transplantation, should be treated with Zeffix. "The fact that such a prestigious group has now recognized the important role of Zeffix treatment in improving the outlook for many patients with chronic hepatitis B, will help ensure that Zeffix is made available to a broad range of patients," commented Dr. Marc Rubin, Vice President of the Infectious Diseases & Hepatitis Therapeutic Development Group, at Glaxo Wellcome. Importantly, the Asia Pacific guidelines also confirm the safety and tolerability advantages of Zeffix over other treatments, by reporting a negligible rate of significant adverse events, and advising that Zeffix is appropriate for use even in decompensated(xx) liver cirrhosis. "There is no doubt," Dr. Rubin continued, "as illustrated by the guidelines, that Zeffix provides a valuable treatment option for clinicians treating chronic hepatitis B. Moreover, the excellent tolerability profile of this drug, combined with simple, once daily oral dosing, makes Zeffix easy and convenient for patients to take." "These recommendations are the culmination of a huge amount of research conducted over the past few years into the prevention and successful management of hepatitis B and C," commented Professor Geoffrey Farrell, Professor of Hepatic Medicine, at the Westmead Hospital, Australia, and joint Chairman of the Asia-Pacific guidelines Core Planning Committee. "I would urge any clinician involved in the treatment of viral hepatitis to adopt these recommendations, in the interests of ensuring that they continue to offer the highest standards of care to their patients, in the light of new advances in treatment and prevention. The Core Planning Committee is delighted that these guidelines have already been translated into Mandarin and Japanese, and that they are being considered by several countries for their relevance to local conditions." The guidelines are the result of a consensus reached by a Core Planning Committee of leading clinicians from ten countries in the region. The Committee formed five working parties, comprising 37 members, who reviewed current literature as well as relevant unpublished data, and debated the significance of their reported findings to ultimately produce a set of Consensus Recommendations for the treatment of hepatitis B and C. The recommendations are based on firm clinical evidence drawn from scientific studies conducted to the highest standards. Hepatitis B is one of the most common and important viruses in the world. There are approximately 350 million chronic carriers of hepatitis B worldwide,(1) and over 75 per cent of these carriers reside in the Asia Pacific region.(2) Up to two million people die each year from hepatitis B virus infection,(3) making it the ninth leading cause of death worldwide.(4) Zeffix is currently available in more than 25 countries including China (as Heptodin), South Korea, the USA (as Epivir-HBV), Canada (as Heptovir) and the EU, and approved in almost 50 countries worldwide. References: (x) Those with greater than twice the upper limit of the normal level of a liver enzyme called ALT. Related Links: Zeffix (lamivudine), BioChem Pharma Inc. and Glaxo Wellcome.
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